Hull & East Yorkshire
Restorers sort water into three categories by how dirty it is. The category decides what can be kept, how the clean-up is done and how careful you need to be.
Clean water doesn't stay clean. After a day or two in a warm house, water that started as category 1 can behave like category 2, which is why speed matters even with a clean leak.
Hull City Council's figures say 84% of the city's surface water drains into the combined sewer network, the same pipes that carry waste from homes. When heavy rain overloads the pumps, what comes up through gullies and toilets is a mix of rainwater and sewage. So flood water in Hull should be treated as black water almost every time, even when it looks like rain.
The source matters for the clean-up and for the insurance claim:
Leaks from your own plumbing and appliances are normally escape of water claims. Water from outside, including the sewers in a storm, is normally a flood claim. The category of water affects what the insurer will expect to be replaced rather than dried, so our records note it on every job.
For what each stage usually costs, from pumping out to redecorating, see our water damage restoration cost guide.
Mould starts growing within 24 to 48 hours of a leak. The sooner drying starts, the less damage and the lower the cost.
Call 01482 736003Water containing sewage or other serious contamination, including flood water from outside. Porous materials it soaks usually can't be saved and everything else must be disinfected.
Yes, it's grey water. It's not as bad as sewage, but carpets and underlay it soaks often need replacing, and the area should be cleaned as well as dried.
Because most of the city's rainwater drains into combined sewers, so water that floods up from drains and gullies is mixed with waste.
Yes. Left for a day or two in a warm house, clean water picks up bacteria from floors and materials, so even a clean leak should be dealt with quickly.
Ring us and we'll tell you how to handle it.